When you’re small, you’re soon called “a leprechaun.” If you have red hair, you are ‘a lighthouse’. Should be possible right? Or not? It is the Week Against Bullying and this year the campaign is about the negative impact of such a joke. The question is; how far can you go Do pranksters have to watch their words or do you have to be able to handle them?
The Week Against Bullying has this year’s theme: Joke! Shouldn’t it be possible?!
Every week, the School & Safety Foundation draws attention to the consequences of bullying. Jokes and humor are fun and create a positive atmosphere, but often jokes are used to justify bullying behavior.
Joking often starts small. This concerns comments that we do not immediately call bullying, but which do make you feel unsafe or annoying. This is called micro-aggression. This can keep piling up and can make people feel like they don’t belong. Jokes can turn into bullying.
Is something funny or cross-border?
Schools can participate in the week by, for example, using special teaching materials. It is discussed in this that there are also different opinions and views on the subject. Is something funny or cross-border? And who actually decides that? There is not always a simple answer, but letting children practice in a safe setting gives them important skills for the future.
The Week Against Bullying focuses mainly on students, but jokes are also common in the workplace. Do the pranksters have to watch their words or do you have to be able to take a joke?